This invention relates to football shoulder pads, and, more particularly, to a football shoulder pad which is provided with outer pads to reduce the tendency of a football to bounce off of the shoulder pad.
Football shoulder pads conventionally include a pair of relatively rigid U-shaped arch portions which extend over the shoulders of the wearer. The arch portions are molded from plastic or similar material, and padding and suspension straps are generally attached to the inside surfaces of the arch portions for cushioning impacts.
The outside surfaces of the arch portions generally remain uncovered. As a result, a football or other object which contacts the hard outer surfaces will tend to bounce away. That is a disadvantage to pass receivers, kick returners, and other players who must catch the football. It is not uncommon for a pass receiver or a kick returner to attempt to catch a ball, only to have the ball hit one of the hard arch portions and bounce away from the player.